Daghestan’s urban culture, in its Russian–European variety, is a relatively new phenomenon. Until the 1970’s, weddings in cities have been celebrated only by hereditary citizens, i.e. Russians, Armenians, Jews, Azerbaijanis, Kumyks, occasionally, while the rest of the city residents preferred to go to their home villages and play weddings there, after which the bride and groom would return if they were going to live in the city. Since the 1990’s, with the growth of the urban population due to the influx of the rural population, this tradition has disappeared in Daghestan, as rural residents often have to come to the city to celebrate the wedding.This article is based on ethnographic materials identified through field observation included. The authors focus on the presentation of the preserved traditional elements of urban wedding rituals and the new ritual and other components that have appeared in recent decades. The analysis of the modern family and public holiday, which the wedding has always been for the peoples of Daghestan, demonstrates the close connection between local traditions and Russian-European innovations, under the influence of various factors. Modern city weddings in Daghestan find in different cities a different ratio between the secular and Islamic components in wedding ceremonies. The authors consider the modern wedding in the cities of Daghestan as a multicomponent ceremony, consisting traditionally of preliminary preparations, the wedding itself and the ceremonies after the wedding.The innovations used in urban wedding rituals are an expression of value orientations, ethnic, ethical, aesthetic, and ethnocultural preferences of modern Daghestan citizens.Under the conditions of ethnocultural dynamics influenced by the intensive migration of the population from the mountains to the plain, where all the modern Daghestan cities are located, the “urban culture” radically transforms not only the marriage traditions, but also the very perception of these traditions. A look at the ratio of the traditional and the modern in the urban wedding rituals is now in each generation its own. And perhaps it is partly subjective and needs to be discussed.

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This article aims at a preliminary study of the status and prospects of the use of ethno-cultural and demographic  potential of Dagestan in the recreational and socio-economic development of Mountainous areas of the North Caucasus region, so-called mountain tourism for example: spas, sanatoria, skiing, climbing, trekking and handicrafts.  The perspectives of development of recreational opportunities in the North Caucasus are strongly connected with the population mobility and the stability of ethno-social situation and so have to be to be considered in the context of inter-ethnic (economic and cultural) communications of  largely outsider authorities and inhabitants on regional and international levels. In this sense, acknowledgement of the country its culture, an introduction to the history of traditional economic specialization and its evolution, traditional customs and ethnic particularities, seems very important. The practical, social significance of the development of recreational potential is determined by its metaphysical place in the preservation of historical-cultural and natural heritage: traditional social-support systems, economic specialization, and the handicraft centers.  Ignored by previous researchers, the fact that the phenomena of "ethnic economy", "ethnic entrepreneurship" and "preservation of traditional social institutions" of the peoples of the Caucasus (in this case) can be traced at all stages of their history, manifesting its exceptional stability during periods of change, such as local forms of government, changes of political regimes and ideological systems. Moreover, it is often ignored that the actual problems of integration of these social institutions into ‘state-modernized’ Russian society are the basic factors or reasons for destabilizing the system of interethnic relations. This occurs especially in areas where various forms of ethnic entrepreneurship are represented by first- or second-generation often forced migrants. We propose a practical approach to advise local good policy.

The article studies ethno-religious / confessional and legal aspects in the pre-Soviet practice of government of the Dagestan region. The Russian Empire was one of the most varied in the world with regard to the ethnic and religious relations. By the end of the 19th century, the Russian Empire covered an area of almost 22.5 million square km., and its 125.7 million population included, in addition to Russians (about 42.0%), two hundred peoples, followers of various religions and beliefs, including Islam (11.1%), Judaism (4, 2%) and Buddhism (0.5%). With the incorporation of Dagestan into Russia, in 1868 the feudal form of government or the Khanate(s) was abolished. The institutions of civil self- government of rural societies were adapted to the general imperial goals of government and subordinated to the tsarist administration. In general, administrative and territorial delimitation at grassroots level corresponded to the traditional divisions of rural societies. The former administrative division into “naibstva” (administrative units, from Arabic نَائِب (nāʾib) assistant, deputy head) was retained...

The article contains an analysis of the principles of decor and the peculiarity of the artistic style of ornamental notches with metal on wood - one of the most significant types of crafts in Dagestan. The sources and stages of development of this type of craft to the level of professional art are traced. On the example of the work of the national artist of the Russian Federation, Gamzat Gazimagomedov, the importance of professionalizing an art notch with metal on wood in the preservation of this type of folk art is shown. Consideration of the most significant works of G. Gazimagomeddov in the context of the traditional Untsukul ornamental notch art and decorative arts of the Russian Federation as a whole made it possible to identify the stylistic features of the compositional construction of the Avar ornamental notch art in the artist’s works, to present his artistic contribution as a treasury of the decorative and applied art of the Russian Federation and Dagestan, and in solving practical problems of preserving and developing the national x art crafts of the country.